Foreign secretary James Cleverly has warned Tory MPs that getting rid of Liz Truss as prime minister would be a “disastrously bad idea”.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Cleverly said that the government needed to do things that would “bring certainty to the markets”.
“I think changing the leadership would be a disastrously bad idea politically and also economically. We are absolutely going to stay focused on growing the economy,” he said.
Mr Cleverly had earlier failed to rule out a change to the government’s tax plans, when he was quizzed about corporation tax.
Asked if the government would reverse its announcement last month to keep corporation tax at 19 per cent and not raise it as had been previously planned, he told Sky News Kwasi Kwarteng would soon set out the full fiscal plan and that it was right to support businesses so they can remain competitive.
“The chancellor will come to the despatch box,” he said. “I think it’s absolutely right that we’ve made it clear that we want to invest in businesses.”
Ministerial statements for today
Here are the written ministerial statements due to be made in the Commons on Thursday:
- Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Update on Statutory Deadline for Planning Decision.
- Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Correction to a Written Parliamentary Question.
- Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Update on Targeted Government Consultation with UK Telecoms Providers.
- Secretary of State for International Trade: Gulf Cooperation Council Trade Negotiations Update.
Matt Mathers13 October 2022 11:25
What has Javid said about Truss?
According to Paul Goodman, editor of the Conservative Home website, Sajid Javid is one of the names being bandied about as a potential replacement for either Kwasi Kwarteng or Liz Truss, should the PM’s government collapse.
Javid, the former health secretary, spoke at an event organised by the Legatum Institute think tank yesterday, where he blamed Ms Truss’s Budget for sparking market turmoil.
He said it was “absolutely crucial” that the government shows by the end of the month that it can balance the books.
But what has Mr Javid said about the new PM, who he backed over Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, in the race to replace Boris Johnson?
In an article for The Times declaring his support for the would-be PM, Mr Javid said that Ms Truss “is the best of Thatcher and Reagan”, adding that her “bold” agenda would help beat Labour at the next election.
“There is a time for leaders in the Thatcherite mould — clear-headed, fiscally disciplined,” Mr Javid wrote. “And there are times for Reaganites — freedom-loving, sunny and optimistic. Our party and our country now needs the best of both instincts.”
He added that Truss was the candidate “best placed” to unite the party.
Matt Mathers13 October 2022 11:09
Tory MPs plot to replace Liz Truss with Rishi Sunak or Penny Mordaunt
Conservative MPs are already plotting to replace Liz Truss as party leader on account of her disastrous first month in office, a senior Tory has said.
Paul Goodman, the editor of the influential ConservativeHome website, said Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt were among MPs being tapped as possible replacements for the prime minister.
It comes after Ms Truss’s first budget in office saw the pound tank and interest rates on government and mortgage debt surge.
A slate of unfunded tax cuts, mainly for higher earners, unleashed chaos on the financial markets and has seen the Tory poll rating tank to record lows.
Read the full story from Jon Stone here:
Tory MPs plot to replace Liz Truss with Rishi Sunak or Penny Mordaunt
Senior Tory says MPs are organising against the prime minister after just a month
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 10:45
‘We cannot afford any more delay’ on Online Safety Bill, Labour says
Britain cannot afford “any more delay” on the Online Safety Bill, Labour has said.
Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, said she had written to her opposite number Michelle Donelan calling on her to bring the bill back to the Commons.
The controversial plan – which aims to put down rules in law about how websites and social media platforms should deal with harmful content – has been delayed on several occasions, after being introduced by former PM Boris Johnson.
Critics of the bill say it could inadvertently harm free speech.
Matt Mathers13 October 2022 10:35
Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt alliance could replace PM
ConservativeHome editor Paul Goodman has said some Tory backbenchers are considering pushing for Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt to replace the Prime Minister.
The former Tory MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “All sorts of different people are talking about all sorts of different things because the Conservative backbenchers are casting around for a possible replacement for Kwasi Kwarteng, even for a possible replacement for Liz Truss.
“All sorts of names are being thrown about, Rishi Sunak, even Boris Johnson, Kit Malthouse, Sajid Javid.
“But one idea doing the rounds is that Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak, who, after all, between them got pretty much two-thirds of the votes of MPs, come to some kind of arrangement and essentially take over.”
Asked if this would be decided without the party members, he added: “Yes, I suppose the arrangement would be to come to an agreement about one candidate so the members are a cut-out.
“I have to say I’m not very enthusiastic about this kind of idea myself, nor am I enthusiastic about the prospects of the Conservative Party junking what would be its fourth leader in seven years.”
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 10:20
The King feels sorry for Truss, Cleverley suggests
King Charles’s “dear dear” comments to Liz Truss were a sign of his “empathy” towards her, the foreign secretary has claimed.
Footage emerged yesterday from the prime minister’s audience with His Majesty.
Following a turbulent first month in office for Ms Truss, the King greeted her by saying, “Back again? Dear, oh dear”.
Nick Ferrari, the LBC host, put it to James Cleverly that the comments were hardly a “message of support”.
But the foreign secretary accused him of characterising the King’s comments as a “political statement”.
“I view it as much more an empathetic statement,” he said. “He recognises that all of us – everyone in the country – is dealing with a really tough winter ahead.”
Matt Mathers13 October 2022 10:04
Former BoE leader says Truss’s tax plan is ‘wishful thinking’
A former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has said that any idea of avoiding public spending cuts through accelerated growth would be “wishful thinking” on the part of the Government.
Martin Weale, Professor of Economics at King’s Business School, told Times Radio that economic forecasts other than the Office for Budget Responsibility were available but “they aren’t actually terribly comforting for the Government”.
“Look at what the IFS and Citibank were saying that there’s a £60 billion hole that needs to be filled.”
Mr Weale, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee from 2010 to 2016, added: “The only way of squaring that circle is to assume that economic growth accelerates in the way that the Government wants. And I think most people regard that as just wishful thinking.”
Liz Truss insisted on Wednesday that she will not cut spending to balance the books as economists and the financial markets continued to question her plans.
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 09:59
Covid furlough scheme ‘lost billions of pounds to error and fraud’
Billions of pounds awarded as part of Covid employment support schemes were lost in fraud and error, a public spending watchdog has warned.
The National Audit Office has criticised the government for not doing more to prevent mistakes and fraudulent claims when rolling out the furlough scheme and the self-employment income support scheme, warning that billions of pounds could remain unrecovered.
In total, according to the latest report into the schemes by the National Audit Office, £4.5 billion – or nearly 4.6 per cent of the total cost of the government’s £96.9 billion emergency Covid-19 support – was claimed in error or in fraud.
But even that estimate is subject to “considerable uncertainty”, auditors say, with the figures ranging from between £3.2 billion to £6.3 billion.
Read the full story here:
Covid furlough scheme ‘lost billions of pounds to error and fraud’
Government insists compliance checks minimised fraud from start of scheme
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 09:43
Cleverly defends keeping corporation tax at the same rate
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has defended Kwasi Kwarteng’s decision to scrap the planned rise in corporation tax in his controversial mini-budget.
Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “I think that it is absolutely right that we want to invest in businesses. It is absolutely right that we help them stay competitive, we help them stay afloat.
“We have got to make sure we can compete internationally with the other places businesses can choose to locate. We have got to make sure we are tax-competitive.”
Mr Cleverly rejected an attack by former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith – who described Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey as “stupid” – although he said the Government did not always agree with the decisions the Bank took.
“Of course he is not stupid. You don’t get to be Governor of the Bank of England if you are stupid. The job of the Bank of England is to intervene,” he said.
“He is doing his job. It doesn’t mean we always agree with everything the Bank of England Governor says or does.”
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 09:23
Replacing PM would be ‘disastrously bad’, says foreign secretary
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned Tory MPs that any attempt to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister would be a “disastrously bad idea”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have got to recognise that we do need to bring certainty to the markets.
“I think changing the leadership would be a disastrously bad idea politically and also economically. We are absolutely going to stay focused on growing the economy.”
Holly Bancroft13 October 2022 09:05
Kaynak: briturkish.com